The Assignment

Little Brother Blog Project

As a class, we are going to create a series of blog entries based on the topics addressed in the book, Little Brother. Each student will be expected to write and submit one blog entry and comment on three other blog entries. You may not comment on a blog entry that had the same topic as your own entry and only a maximum of 5 comments per blog entry. After the topic is addressed in class, you will have two days to write and post your blog entry. These due dates are on the unit handout. Please respect them as your tardiness will make it more difficult for others to respond to your posting and is disrespectful towards your classmates efforts.

Each blog entry should be 250-300 words in length. The topic of your blog entry should be related to what was discussed in class based on the unit handout. You can reference the materials presented in class as well as materials you find on your own. If you include materials from other sources please list these sources at the bottom of your post in order to allow others the opportunity to do further reading if they desire and to give credit for where credit is due. Your entry is allowed to express personal thought and reflection but it should be educational and rationalized (ex. You may agree or disagree with a certain political policy and offer your viewpoint but you may not say that a policy sucks and not elaborate). This is an assignment for school and is not creative writing project. The title of your blog entry should be the title of the topic and your name in order to make it easier for myself and others to comment.

When you respond to someone's blog entry there is an expectation that you will do so in a polite, respectful and constructive manner. This is a forum to share opinions, ideas and reflections based on our novel and the issues it deals with. If you are unable to respond in a polite, respectful, appropriate manner, then choose a different posting to comment on. Comments which are considered offensive or inappropriate will be dealt with by myself and administration. A good methodology when responding to a posting in a constructive manner is to use “2 stars and a wish”. This means you praise the author for two things in their posting and you highlight something you think could be improved. Avoid posting responses that don't offer useful feedback, such as “Good Work!” or “You're Awesome!”. While they are kind, they don't offer any suggestions or details. Learning to provide helpful and effective feedback is an important skill as part of the education process but also in the workplace as well when you might be asked to look critically at a colleagues work. Don't take suggestions for improvement personally. Use them to improve your writing and your final results. Feedback is extremely useful if you are willing to hear it and use it to your advantage.

The blog URL is: http://jebsongrade10english.blogspot.com/

My Blog Topic: ______________________________________________________________

Date my topic is addressed in class: _______________________________________________

Due Date for my Posting: _______________________________________________________

Postings I commented and the date:
__________________________________________

__________________________________________

__________________________________________

Rubrics for how the blog posting and the comments will be evaluated will be posted on the blog!